Clock-mechanism for automobiles and the like



Feb. 13, 1934. R. H. wHn'EHEAD Er AL 1,946,890

CLOCK IECHANIS FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE I 2 Sheets-Sheet` 1 Filed Dec. 4. 1950 www.

Feb. 13, 1934. R, H, WHITEHEAD ET AL CLOCK MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE s-Sheet 2 ZSheet Filed Dec. 4, 1930 5 mm fw\\\ J Y Patented Feb. 13,1934

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Richard H. Whitehead and Wilson E. Porter,

New Haven, Conn.,

asslgnors to The New Haven Clock Company, New Haven, Conn., a

corporation Application December 4, 1930. Serial No. 499,983

Claims.

.10 operating-member for an electric switch, such asvthe horn-switch of an automobile.

With the above and other objects in view as will appear from the following; our invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts l which will be hereinafter; described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of the steerlngapf: paratus of an automobile equipped with an automatically-wound clock in accordance with our invention; x Y

Fig. 2 is a broken transverse sectional view taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1 ibut on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a broken view" partly inhorizontal section on the lin..3-3 of Fig. '2 but showing the front movement-plate` in elevation, withv the movement-train shown-by broknlines;

Fig. 4 is a vertical ltransverse sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2 but'on a larger scale 80 and showing, in addition, the clock-movement and some of the associated parts in section;

the driving-spring and spring-barrel, etc., taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the winding-pinion provided with ratchet-teeth; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the reciprocating ratchet-member.

The embodiment of our invention herein chosen for illustration consists of a cup-shaped sheetmetal clock-case 10 housing a clock movement which will be shortly described and which clockcase 10 is closed at its upper end by means of a bezel 11 carrying a crystal 12.

The cup-shaped case 10 extends into an upwardly-opening cylindrical chamber 13 formed a in the upper face of a steering-column head 14 formed of insulating material. Located in the chamber 13 and bearing against the bottom thereof and against the under-side of the case 10 so as to exert a constant effort to force the latter outward, is a helical spring 15 which is adapted to yield under manual pressure applied to the crystal 12 of the clock to permit the same to move inward to close a circuit, as will hereinafter appear.

The steering apparatus with which the clock may be associated in carrying out our invention, may be of any approved type but as herein 00 shown consists of the head 14 already referred to which is mounted by means of one or more screws 16 upon the anged upper end 17 of a stationary tube 18 which extends inside of the usual rotatable hollow steering-shaft or steering-tube 19 05 'from which it is slightly spaced by means of a bushing 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

'Ihe upper portion of the steering-tube 19 is tapered to receive the hub 21 of a steering-wheel w 22, the two latter members being secured together by means of screws 23. The hub 21 is formed with a keyway 24 receiving the outer portion of a substantially-semicircular key 25 seated in an arcuate groove 26 in the outer face of the u hereinafter appear. 55

'Extending downward through .the interior of Fig. 5 ls a broken detail sectional view of' the stationary tube 18 is a light-'switch controltube 31 provided at its upper end with a radial operating-lever 32 and having passing through its interior a throttle-control tube 33 provided with an operating-lever 34.

The throttle-lever 34 just above referred to is complemented by a spark-control 35 offsetting from the upper end of a spark-control-tube 36 extending downward through the interior of the throttle-control tube 33.\ Extending downward through the interior of the spark-control-tube 36 is an electric conductor 37 which leads to a warning signal such as a horn or the like, and has its upper end electrically connected to a terminal 38 mounted in the steering-column head 14, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, in position to be engaged by a movable contact 39 secured to the under-face of the casing 10 of thev clock.

As before pointed out, the casing 10 is constantly urged outward by the helical spring 15 which latter serves to normally keep the contact 39 out of engagement with its complementary contact 38. The outward movement of the casing 10 under the urge of the spring 15 is limited no by providing it in its periphery at two diametrically-opposite points with slots 40. each of which receives the reduced inner end of a stop-screw 41 diametrically threaded into the upper portion of the steering-column head 14.

The ring-gear 30 before referred to, which is carried by and rotates with the steering-tube 19, meshes into a pinion 42 secured to the lower end of a clock-winding shaft 43 rotating in a tubular bearing-stud 44 upstanding from the flanged upper end 17 of the stationary tube 18. The upper end of the winding-shaft 43 is provided with an upstanding tang 45 entered into a diametrical groove 46 formed in the lower end of a ratchetmember 47.

The ratchet-member 47 is formed upon its upper face with ratchet-teeth 48 and is mounted for rotation and limited reciprocation upon a stud 49 depending from a movement-plate 50 constituting the rear movement-plate of the clockmovement housed within the casing 10. The said ratchet-member 47 is encircled by a helical spring 51 bearing at its lower end against the inner face of the bottom-wall of the case l0 and at its upper end against a thrust-washer 52 mounted upon the said ratchet-member and exerts a constant effort to hold the ratchet-teeth 48 in engagement with complementary ratchetteeth 53 formed upon the under-face of a winding-pinion 54 which is mounted with freedom for rotation upon the stud 49 already referred to.

The winding-pinion 54 meshes into and drives a winding-wheel 55 secured to the lower end of a winding-arbor 56 which bears in the rear movement-plate 50 and also in a complementary front movement-plate 57, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The winding-arbor 56 has staked upon it a hub 58 to which is coupled, by means of a pin 59, the inner end of a spiral spring 60. The spring 60 is housed Within a spring-barrel 61 mounted upon the winding-arbor 56 with freedom for relative rotation with respect thereto and which spring-barrel 61 is provided with gear-teeth 62 for driving a center-pinion 63 of the clock 'and through the intermediary of the same to cause the spring 60 to effect the driving of the clock-movement, which may be of any approved type, and herein requiring no detailed description.

The spiral spring 60 effects the driving of the spring-barrel 61 by virtue of the fact that its outer convolution is frictionally engaged with the inner surface of the said barrel and is free to slip with respect thereto when the spring has been wound to a predetermined tension. In order to enhance the frictional grip of the outer convolution of the spring 60 upon the inner surface of the spring-barrel 61 we secure to the said outer convolution, by means of rivets 64. a flexible reinforcing strip 65 which in effect converts the outer convolution of the spring into a double-ply terminal. Coming now to the operation for automatically winding the spring 60, it will be noted that upon every counter-clockwise rotation of the steering-wheel 22, the ring-gear 30 will be correspondingly turned and through the intermediary of the pinion 42, winding-shaft 43, ratchetmember 47. pinion 54 and winding-wheel 55, the spring 60 will be wound more or less, dependent upon the degree of counter-clockwise movement of the steering-wheel.

When the steering-wheel is turned in a clockwise direction, the ratchet-teeth 48 of the ratchet-member 47 will ride idly back over the teeth 53 of the pinion 54.

When the spring 60 has been wound to a predetermined extent, its convolutions will so contract as to releive the frictional grip of its outer convolution upon the inner surface of the spring-barrel 61, with the result that slippage will take place. Thus, despite continued rapid movements of the steering-wheel, the spring will automatically prevent itself from being overwound.

When it is desired to have the movable contact 39 engage the xed contact 38, so as to complete a circuit to a signal device through the wire 37, an inward pressure upon the outer face of the crystal 12 will cause the clock, as a whole, to move inward against the counter-urge of the spring 15. This movement is permitted by the slots 40 in the periphery of the case 10 and by the fact that the groove 46 in the ratchet-member 47 is oi' ample depth-from top to bottom.

As herein shown and described, the clock is wound by a. counter-clockwise movement of the steering-wheel but it is obvious, without further illustration, that it may be wound by a clockwise movement or by both if desired.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that our invention may assume varied physical forms without departing from our inventive concept, and we, therefore, do not limit ourselves to the specific embodiment herein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with the steering-appa ratus of an automobile or the like; of a springdriven clock; and a winding-connection between the said steering-apparatus and the said clock; whereby the winding of the latter will be automatically effected as an incident to steering.

2. The combination with the steering-apparatus of an automobile or the like; of a springdriven clock; and a winding-connection between the said steering-apparatus and the said clock including a ratchet-mechanism; whereby the winding of the clock will be automatically effected as an incident to steering.

3. The combination with the steering-apparatus of an automobile or the like; of a springdriven clock having a frictionally-coupled driving-spring; and a winding-connection between the said steering-apparatus and the said driving-spring; whereby the winding of the latter will be automatically effected as an incident to steering.

4. The combination with the steering-apparatus of an automobile or the like: of a springdriven clock having a frictionally-coupled driving-spring; and a winding-connection between the said steering-apparatus and the said drivingspring including a ratchet-mechanism; whereby the winding of the said spring will be automatically eflected as an incident to steering.

5. The combination with the steering-wheel and steering-shaft of an automobile or the like; of a spring-driven clock mounted in front of the said steering-wheel; and a winding-connection between the said steering-shaft and the said clock; whereby the winding of the latter will be automatically eil'ected as an incident to the movement of the said steering-shaft.

6. The combination with the steering-wheel and steering-shaft of an automobile or the like: of a spring-driven clock mounted in front of the said steering-wheel; and a winding-connection, 150

including a ratchet-mechanism, between the said steering-shaft andthe said clock; whereby the Winding of the latter will be automatically effected as an incident to the movement of the said steering-wheel.

7. The combination with the steering-wheel and steering-shaft of an automobile or the like; of a spring-driven clock having a frictionallycoupled driving-spring and mounted in front of the said steering-wheel; and a winding-connection between the said steering-shaft and the said clock; whereby the winding of the latter will be automatically effected as an incident to the' movement of the said steering-shaft.

RICHARD H. WHITEHEAD. WILSON E. PORTER. 

